The invention relates to an equipment detection system for detecting, for example, the state of the temperature of equipment, for example, cooling storerooms, such as refrigerators for commercial use or domestic use, low-temperature showcases, prefabricated refrigerators, and vending machines, or air conditioners, and an equipment control device.
For example, in conventional refrigerators for commercial use, a compressor, a condenser, a cooler and the like, which constitute a cooling device, are built in the refrigerators, or alternatively the compressor and the condenser are separately provided. In these conventional refrigerators, a coolant discharged from the compressor is condensed in the condenser, is depressurized in a pressure reducing device and is then supplied to the cooler to attain cooling effect, and air cooled in the cooler is circulated through an internal fan into the refrigerator to cool the inside of the refrigerator to a predetermined low temperature.
Frost grown in the cooler by the cooling operation is heat thawed by a defroster (a defrost heater), and, further, dew condensed and deposited by cooling action is removed by heating with an antidewing heater. On the other hand, a fan for the condenser is provided around the compressor and the condenser, and the condenser and the compressor are air cooled by the fan for the condenser.
In order to perform such various operation controls, the refrigerator is loaded with a controller comprising a microcomputer. Further, various sensors for detecting the temperature of the inside of the refrigerator, the cooler, and the condenser are mounted, and, in addition, switches for controlling the operation of mounted parts such as the compressor, the defroster, the antidewing heater, and the internal fan are also provided. The controller receives data sent from the sensors and controls the operation of mounted parts by the individual switches.
In this refrigerator, however, temperature sensors according to various applications, such as the control of the internal temperature or the protection of the compressor and the condenser, are mounted, and the number of the temperature sensors varies depending upon the type of the equipment. Further, for example, the number of fans and the number of antidewing heaters for preventing dew formation vary depending upon the type of the equipment. Therefore, wiring of electric systems including switches for controlling them and the construction of control devices for controlling the electrical systems vary depending upon the type of the equipment. This has resulted in significantly lowered productivity particularly, for example, in equipment for commercial use which is produced in various types on a small lot production manner, and a reduction in this drawback has been desired.
In the above equipment, various mounted parts are deteriorated by operation and motion for a long period of time and, as a result, a malfunction of the equipment occurs. For this reason, maintenance/inspection is carried out either at the time of the occurrence of the malfunction or periodically (in the case of equipment for commercial use), and, at that time, the failed portion is repaired. In this case, at the time of inspection, the contents of maintenance in the past can be learned, subsequent measures can be easily taken.
Specifically, for example, when specific parts have been frequently replaced, it is learned that some measure or modification is necessary for the parts per se. A conventional method similar to this is that a check label or the like is put on the equipment and inspection date and the like are written on the label or the like. In this method, however, the contents of maintenance in the past are not written. Writing the contents of the maintenance on the label leads to a possibility that the user has an idle fear.
In recent years, also in this type of refrigerators for commercial use, a system has been searched and developed wherein a plurality of refrigerators are connected to each other or one another through a signal line and these refrigerators are controlled by a single controller in a centralized manner. In this centralized control, the controller performs data communication for giving an instruction to each control terminal, that is, parts mounted on each refrigerator. When the number of refrigerators or the number of parts mounted on the refrigerators is large, a long time is necessary until all the mounted parts complete communication with the controller.
The prolongation of the time of communication with the controller cannot disadvantageously cope with, for example, the necessity of an immediate change of setting or operation of a specific refrigerator and results in delayed change of setting or operation.
Accordingly, it is a first object of the invention to provide an equipment detection system which can realize reliable and rapid detection operation while enjoying a significant improvement in productivity and a significant reduction in cost through common use of parts and simplification of wiring.
It is a second object of the invention to provide an equipment control device which can significantly improve the productivity and significantly reduce the cost through common use of parts and simplification of wiring, can easily grasp the history of maintenance, which has been done in the past for the equipment, and can realize smooth control even in the case of control of a large number of sensors or switching devices by single main control means through transmission and receipt of data.
The first object of the invention can be attained by an equipment detection system comprising a main control device, sensors, and a signal line, the main control device and the sensors being connected to the signal line, characterized in that each of the sensors comprises: detection means; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control device through the signal line; and terminal-side control means which, upon the receipt of an instruction from the main control device through the send/receive means for the start of detection operation, allows the detection means to perform detection operation, and, upon the receipt of an instruction from the main control device for reading, sends data detected by the detection means to the main control device through the send/receive means, and that the main control device gives an instruction for the start of operation of the detection to all the sensors from which data are to be collected, then provides a predetermined standby period, and, after the elapse of the standby period, gives an instruction for reading to the sensors while specifying the ID codes.
The first object of the invention can also be attained by an equipment detection system comprising a main control device, a plurality of sensors, and a signal line, the main control device and the sensors being connected to the signal line, characterized in that each of the sensors comprises: detection means; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control device through the signal line; and terminal-side control means which, upon the receipt of an instruction from the main control device through the send/receive means for the start of detection operation, allows the detection means to perform detection operation, and, upon the receipt of an instruction from the main control device for reading, sends data detected by the detection means to the main control device through the send/receive means, and that the main control device gives an instruction for the start of operation of the detection to the plurality of sensors connected to the signal line, then provides a predetermined standby period, and, after the elapse of the standby period, gives an instruction for reading to the individual sensors while specifying the ID codes.
The second object of the invention can be attained by a control device for equipment, comprising a signal line distributed to said equipment, main control means connected to the signal line, and a sensor connected to the signal line, characterized in that the sensor comprises: a detection device; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line; and sensor-side control means which receives data detected by the detection device, writes the received data in the storage means, and sends data stored in the storage means to the main control means through the send/receive means.
The second object of the invention can also be attained by a control device for equipment, comprising a signal line distributed to said equipment, main control means connected to the signal line, and a switching device which is connected to the signal line and functions to control the operation of mounted parts, characterized in that the switching device comprises switching means, storage means having its own ID code, send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line, and switching device-side control means for controlling the switching means based on the data from the send/receive means.
The second object of the invention can also be attained by a control device for equipment, comprising a signal line distributed to said equipment, main control means connected to the signal line, a sensor connected to the signal line, and a switching device which is connected to the signal line and functions to control the operation of mounted parts, characterized in that the sensor comprises: a detection device; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line; and sensor-side control means which receives data detected by the detection device, writes the received data in the storage means, and sends data stored in the storage means to the main control means through the send/receive means, and that the switching device comprises switching means, storage means having its own ID code, send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line, and switching device-side control means for controlling the switching means based on the data from the send/receive means.
The second object of the invention can also be attained by a control device for equipment, comprising a signal line distributed to a cooling storeroom, main control means connected to the signal line, and a temperature detection sensor connected to the signal line, characterized in that the sensor comprises: a temperature detection device; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line; and sensor-side control means which receives temperature data detected by the temperature detection device, writes the received data in the storage means, and sends data stored in the storage means to the main control means through the send/receive means.
The second object of the invention can also be attained by a control device for equipment, comprising a signal line distributed to a cooling storeroom, main control means connected to the signal line, and a switching device which is connected to the signal line and functions to control the operation of mounted parts including a compressor and a fan, characterized in that the switching device comprises switching means, storage means having its own ID code, send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line, and switching device-side control means for controlling the switching means based on the data from the send/receive means.
The second object of the invention can also be attained by a control device for equipment, comprising a signal line distributed to a cooling storeroom, main control means connected to the signal line, a temperature detection sensor connected to the signal line, and a switching device which is connected to the signal line and functions to control the operation of mounted parts including a compressor and a fan, characterized in that the sensor comprises: a temperature detection device; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line; and sensor-side control means which receives temperature data detected by the temperature detection device, writes the received data in the storage means, and sends data stored in the storage means to the main control means through the send/receive means, and that the switching device comprises switching means, storage means having its own ID code, send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line, and switching device-side control means for controlling the switching means based on the data from the send/receive means.
The sensor and/or the switching device preferably comprise an accumulation device which is charged during a high potential period of the signal line while, during a low potential period of the signal line, electricity is discharged from the accumulation device to supply each means with electric power.
The sensor or the switching device may be built in a part mounted on equipment such as a cooling storeroom.
The second object of the invention can also be attained by a control device for equipment, comprising: a signal line distributed to said equipment; main control means provided on the equipment; a sensor or a switching device connected to the signal line, for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means; storage unit connected to the signal line; and changeover means for enabling an external control device to be connected to the signal line, characterized in that the storage unit stores a maintenance history data file containing maintenance history of the equipment and, in the state of the connection of the external control device to the signal line, permits data contained in the maintenance history data file to be read by the external control device and data to be written in the maintenance history data file.
When the sensor or the switching device has been replaced, preferably, the main control means searches out the new sensor or switching device and writes this data in the maintenance history data file within the storage unit.
The storage unit preferably comprises: storage means containing data; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means and the external control device through the signal line; storage unit-side control means for controlling, based on the data from the send/receive means, writing of data in or reading of data from the storage means; and an accumulation device which is charged during a high potential period of the signal line while, during a low potential period of the signal line, electricity is discharged from the accumulation device to supply each means with electric power.
The sensor preferably comprises: a detection device; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line; and sensor-side control means which receives data detected by the detection device, writes the received data in the storage means, and sends data stored in the storage means to the main control means through the send/receive means.
The switching device preferably comprises switching means, storage means having its own ID code, send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line, and switching device-side control means for controlling the switching means based on the data from the send/receive means.
The second object of the invention can also be attained by a control device for equipment, comprising: main control means provided on the equipment; and a sensor or a switching device for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through a signal line, characterized in that the sensor or the switching device is divided into a plurality of systems, a changeover device is provided in a signal line between each of the systems and the main control means, and the changeover device opens/closes the signal system upon the receipt of data from the main control means through the signal line.
The changeover device preferably comprises: opening/closing means for opening/closing the signal system; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line; and changeover device-side control means for controlling the opening/closing means based on the data sent from the send/receive means.
The sensor preferably comprises: a detection device; storage means having its own ID code; send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line; and sensor-side control means which receives data detected by the detection device, writes the received data in the storage means, and sends data stored in the storage means to the main control means through the send/receive means.
The switching device preferably comprises switching means, storage means having its own ID code, send/receive means for sending data to and receiving data from the main control means through the signal line, and switching device-side control means for controlling the switching means based on the data sent from the send/receive means.